Reciprocating electric-engine system



(Nb Moder.

O. J. VAN DEPOELE. RECIPROOATING ELECTRIC ENGINE SYSTEM.

Patented July 1, 1890 f amvemfoz G/mrlas J. )Zlzfiepaeza 4410 gluon 10 4 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

RECIPROCATING ELECTRIC-ENGINE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 431,496, dated. July 1, 1890.

Application filed April 18, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. VAN Dn- POELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reciprocating Electric-Engine Systems, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in reciprocating electric engines of the type referred to inmyPatent- No. 422,855, dated March 4, 1890.

Where the current is sent to the motor-coils of the engines from two stationary and one moving brush, the moving brush carries quite a heavy current, which is taken from one side of the armature only. By dividing the moving brush and using two moving simultaneously on opposite sides of the commutator the same effect is produced, with the advantage that only half of the current passes through each of the moving brushes, and the current flowing in the armature-coils is thereby balanced. This I regard as a valuable feature of improvement and one which under some circumstances, as where very heavy currents are to be transmitted to a number of reciprocating engines in circuit, would be of great practical utility.

The details of construction and arrange ment, which are hereinafter described by way of illustration, will be hereinafter explained, and referred to in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in elevation showing a generator embodying the invention, together with a reciprocating en gine and circuit-connections between the engine and generator. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but shows some of the parts in different relative position. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the commutator and the commutator-brushes.

In the drawings, A represents a. source of pulsating or rising andfalling currents, which source may be an ordinary continuous-current generator or a motor. If the latter, its main terminals will be connected to a source of Serial No. 348,546. (No model.)

continuous current, substantially as set forth in my Patent No. 422,858, dated March 4, 1890.

B is a sectional commutator connected with the armature-coils, as in a Gramme or other well-known type of continuous-current machine. p

O D are the main positive and negative commutator-brushes, which are adjustably sus tained in stationary operative position upon the line of commutation.

E F are circuit-conductors connected with the main brushes 0 D.

The main commutator-brushes are held against the periphery of the commutator B in the usual manner. Two additional commutator-brushes G H are also provided, said brushes being adapted to engage the commutat0rone on each side thereof-and to be moved from top to bottom thereon-that is, from points adjacent to the positive brush downward to positions adjacent to the negative brush, and vice versa.

For convenience of illustration the brushes G I'I'are shown engaging the ends of the segments of which the commutator B is con structed, although it is obvious that by slightly extending the supports of the brushes G H, so as to reach over the end of the commutator, said brushes might be equally well brought into contact with its periphery.

The main positive and negative conductors E and F are connected to the outside terminals of motor-coils e f, and said motor-coils havetheir inner ends connected to a third or intermediate conductor m, which intermediate conductor is connected to the moving brushes and alternately receives and delivers current therethrough, so that the main current will be rising in one of the motor-coils while falling in the other, and vice versa, during the operation of the machine.

The brush G is, as shown, mounted upon an arm g, which arm is sustained upon the sleeve being sustained upon the exterior of the sleeve g. The sleeve h is also provided with a gear-pinion 72 through which movement may be imparted.

As a simple means of impartingmovement to the brush-carrying arms g h, I provide a prime motor (indicated by a gear-wheel M) which may be driven in any convenient manner. The motor-wheel M carries a crank N, to which is attached a connecting-rod L, said rod being connected to a double rack 't' i, the teeth of said rack engaging the pinions 7L2, respectively, and said racks being, for convenience, united at their extremities and attached to or provided with guide-rods J J. The guide-rods J J pass through bearings K K, which are suitably attached to the field-magnet extensions of the machine A. The connecting-rod L is attached to the racks or rack-frame, and upon the motor-wheel M being caused to rotate reciprocating movement will be imparted to the rack-frame, which, through the racks i t", will impart opposite rotary movement to the pinions g h, and through them move the brushes G H in opposite directions about the commutator, the said brushes in their movement meeting at the top of the commutator, then separatin g and passing down one on each side thereof, to meet again at the lower part of the commu tator, and vice versa.

As the movingbrushes recede from the positive commutator-brush,the current falls in the coil 6 and rises in the coil f, until when said brushes are in diametrically opposite position, as indicated in Fig. 2, the current will have risen in the coil f until it is equal to that in the coil 6, when the current will flow from the positive commutator-brush through both coils and back to the machine through the conductor F and the negative commutator-brush. This follows from the fact that in the positions stated the potential in the moving brushes is balanced between the stationary brushes, and if the resistance of the motor-coils is equal no current will how for the moment through the conductor m, it passing at that time through the motor-coils in series. In the further movement of the brushes, however, and as they begin to approach the negative commutator-brush from their central positions, the supply-current will decrease in the coil 6 and increase in the coil f.

As a convenient means of connecting the brushes G H, their supports K K shouldbe insulated from the machine, when the intermediate conductor on may be connected to one of said supports, the current passing through the brush-moving connections.

The form seen in Fig. 2 diifers chiefly in the details of the brush-actuating mechanism, which, as there seen, is a modification of the mechanism seen in Figs. 1 and In said Fig. 2 the brush-carrying arms g h are sleeved upon the armature-shaft, and as a means of moving them I substitute for the racks and pinions of Fi 1 a pair of links Z Z, which are pivotally connected to the arms g 7i and jointed to the end of a driving-rod K which is sustained and guided in a frame 0, movement being imparted to the driving-rod, links, and brush-carrying arms through connecting-rod L, crank N, and motor-wheel M.

The operation of the device does not differ in any essential particulars from that just described, being merely another form thereof.

Various other modifications and changes may be made in the herein-described structure without in any manner departing from the spirit and nature of the invention, which is therefore not limited to the specific construction shown.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination,with the sectional commutator and stationary brushes of a continuous-current machine, of a pair of contact carrying-arms radially mounted with respect to said commutator and adapted to be moved coincidently on opposite sides of the commutator between the fixed brushes, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a plurality of motor-coils and connections between their outer terminals and the stationary commutatorbrushcs of a continuous-current machine, of a divided commutator-brush moving toward and away from the fixed brushes on opposite sides of the commutator, and connections between the moving brushes and the inner terminals of the motor-coils, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the main stationary commutator-brushes of a continuous-current machine, motor-coils, and connections between two of the free terminals thereof and the said brushes, of an intermediate connection between the other ends of the motor-coils, and a divided moving contact adapted to travel upon opposite sides of the commutator toward and away from the stationary commutator-brushes, thereby dividing the current passing through the moving-brushes, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a plurality of motor-coils, a continuous-current armature and sectional commutator therefor, main stationary commutator-brnshes, and connections between said brushes and two of the free terminals of the motor-coils, of an intermediate con nection including the other terminals of the IIO motor-coils, and movable commutator-brushes connected with said intermediate circuit and 5. The combination, with the sectional commutator of a continuous-current machine, of a pair of contact carrying arms radially mounted with respect thereto and provided with contact-surfaces engaging said commutator, motor mechanism, and mechanical connections between the motorand the said arms for moving the same simultaneously toward and away from each other on opposite sides of the commutator, substantiallyas described. 10

I11 testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE. lVitne-sses:

S. G. HoPKINs, FRANKLAND J ANNUS. 

